Impacted Communities

Making landfall today as a devastating Category 5 storm, Hurricane Felix is the second Cat 5 Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in as many weeks, carving a path of destruction across Central America.

When you think about the climate crisis, which image, a polar bear cub or a human child stands out as the face of climate change? Global warming certainly poses an unprecedented environmental and ecological catastrophe. But the climate crisis doesn’t just threaten cute and cuddly animals and their less charismatic cousins. I would argue that the real face of climate change is, or should be, a human face. Today, I join over eleven hundred others in the Climate Emergency Fast to raise awareness of these human impacts of climate change.

More than a story about global warming, Hurricane Katrina is a story about a people left to die by their government before, during, and well-after a disaster most of us could never imagine. Last November my friend Jeca and I made the trip down to New Orleans to gut houses and help in the recovery effort. Below are two stories from my experience posted in my blog last year.

In the West, we fundamentally misunderstand the role of pollution and the environment in China. We also don’t recognize the global injustice being conducted in the name of our prosperity in China. China has become the environmental sacrifice zone for the global economy. Toxic air and water are killing an estimated 710,000 to 760,000 Chinese each year. In China, they know the power of online media and the political fallout from the environmental injustice the Chinese people are facing from the global economy. Do we?

This articles explores the trend of stronger and more dangerous hurricanes in a warming world. What is the connection, is there a clear pattern? How do you think we should talk about it?

One of a group of youth Bloggers writing provocative and powerful climate posts. A report on the tricky and complex subject of extreme weather and climate change.

One of a group of youth Bloggers writing provocative and powerful climate posts. A thought-provoking piece on whether 80% by 2050 is anywhere close to enough and how much further we have to go.